Maybe the spark will come from a group of students with an idea bigger than their budgets or from professors whose research needs a financial nudge toward fruition. It might even originate with philanthropic groups or businesses beyond campus that share an environmental bent. If money motivates, then the University
As world leaders prepare to discuss clean energy solutions at an upcoming conference in Pittsburgh, students and Indigenous activists held a protest and march in Oakland calling for a more radical approach.
Pitt Fossil Free Coalition
The University of Pittsburgh Ad Hoc Committee on Fossil Fuels released a report on February 19 outlining its plans to fully divest from private fossil fuel investments by 2035. The move follows the university’s establishment of the committee in June pledging to take more steps toward sustainability in the future, including a commitment to become carbon neutral by 2037.
Fossil fuel divestment has been a topic of discussion for years as dozens of universities and companies try to do their part to decrease greenhouse gas emissions from coal, oil, and natural gas. Divestment can be as broad as slowly phasing out private investments, or as narrow as ensuring campus buses are eco-friendly, according to Carnegie Mellon University finance professor, Burton Hollifield.